Archive for the ‘inch screens’ tag
iPhone 5 going all supermodel: tall and skinny?
Apple already has stunning industrial design, now the fruitarian Cupertino company is going all super-model on us?
9-5 Mac played with the iOS Simulator app that Apple provides developers for testing and found that it works perfectly with an extra 176 pixels in height … meaning that Apple has enabled a higher screen resolution either for testing or, perhaps more likely, in preparation for the iPhone 5.
176 pixels more is exactly one additional row of icons on the home screen. And … it would be almost exactly a 16 x 9 ratio: perfect for high-def video entertainment.
To be specific, this means the iPhone 5 screen would be 640 pixels wide by 1136 pixels tall, as opposed to the current model which is 640 by 960. Presumably the screen resolution would stay the same at 326 pixels-per-inch.
In case you’re wondering, here’s how the new size would compare to the iPhone 4s:
iPhone 5 versus iPhone4s
While nothing Apple is confirmed until it ships, this is consistent with both the rumors of a larger iPhone 5 screen and Steve Jobs’ obsession with making the phone, for lack of a better term, one-hand-able … not so large that ”you can’t get your hand around it.”
The current iPhone has a 3.5″ screen, while competitors such as the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III have 4.7- and 4.8-inch screens, respectively. A 640 x 1136 iPhone 5 would be compatible with a rumored 4″ screen size.
More screen real estate is always welcome, but so is pocketability. And one-handed use is important to both Apple and busy, preoccupied users.
The new iPhone 5, if indeed these are the measurements, might just satisfy all three requirements.
Image credit: photofriday / Shutterstock.com
Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat 
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Apple Preps for New Tablet (The Wall Street Journal)
Apple’s component suppliers in Asia are preparing for mass production in September of a tablet computer with a smaller screen than the iPad, people familiar with the situation said, suggesting a launch for the device is near. Two of the people said that the tablet’s screen will likely be smaller than 8 inches. The Next Web According to The Journal, Apple is likely to call upon LG Display and Au Optronics to supply the smaller screens for its new tablet. If, and it’s still a big if at this point, we see an iPad in October, it’s likely that it would enter production as early as August or September. Bloomberg News The product won’t have the high-definition screen featured on the iPad that was released in March, one of the people said. The new device will probably have a price closer to Google’s Nexus 7 tablet and Amazon’s Kindle Fire, both of which have 7-inch screens and cost $199. CNN If the rumors are true, it would be Apple’s biggest departure yet from the vision of co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, who died last year. Jobs was adamant that anything smaller than the iPad wouldn’t deliver the full “tablet experience.” CNET Last week, Google debuted the 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet, which will likely end up serving as the prime competition to Apple’s anticipated 7-inch iPad. Microsoft’s Windows-powered Surface tablet, announced in June, has a larger 10.6-inch display, but pricing has yet to be announced. continued…
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Look out, Nexus 7: iPad mini coming this year, report claims
Apple will release a 7- or 8-inch iPad that will disrupt the low-end tablet market before the end of the year, a new Bloomberg report claims.
We’d heard previously that Apple was purchasing 7.1-inch screens for smaller iPads and later, John Gruber — Apple’s biggest fan — said a 7.85-inch iPad was being developed.
But while those rumors have been fun to speculate on, the prospect of the “iPad mini” has never been more believable than it is now because of the Google Nexus 7 tablet. The $200 Nexus 7 is the best Android tablet we’ve seen yet, and it beats out the Kindle Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, and other 7-inch tablets with its powerful hardware, Google Play access, and Android 4.1 “Jelly Bean” operating system.
Bloomberg’s report also notes that the iPad mini will not feature a Retina display in order to keep costs down and says it will likely debut in October, which is when is when we expect Apple to announce the next-gen “iPhone 5.” An iPad mini would most likely carry a price between $200 and $300 to stay competitive.
Let us know in the comments if you’d be interested in buying an iPad mini.
iPad mini concept photo: CiccareseDesign
Filed under: mobile 
Dell Vostro targets security-minded enterprise laptop users
Dell is launching three new Vostro brand laptops today for security-minded businesses. The laptops are targeted at the fast-growing enterprise laptop market and they show that Dell is serious about targeting business users.
The new models include the Dell Vostro 3360, 3460, and 3560 laptops. They are designed to be easy to configure, maintain, and use. They will go up against Apple’s new MacBook Pro laptops.
“Growing a business takes more than just hardware; you need to have a solid support system in place to scale and succeed,” said Sam Burd, vice president, Dell Personal Computing Product Group. “The Vostro product family enables emerging businesses to grow and thrive in competitive environments. Our end-to-end solution is the reason why so many of our Vostro customers recommend the products to their friends, family and colleagues.”
The laptops come with 13-inch, 14-inch, and 15-inch screens and come in three colors: Aberdeen silver, Brisbane Bronze and Lucerne red. They include options for third-generaton Intel Core processors. The 3360 has a 4-cell battery and the 3460 and 3560 have 6-cell batteries.
They include a high-definition webcam and microphone, Waves MaxxVoice Pro, Bluetooth 4.0 and optional 4G LTE mobile broadband (for the Vostro 3360 and 3460). The 3360 is just 0.76 inches thick. All three laptops use a 32 gigabyte flash memory SSD card.
Fingerprint readers are standard. The machines also have file and folder encryption via DigitalPersona File Protection software, and Trend Micro security software.
The Vostro 3560 laptop is available now on Dell.com, starting at $599. The Vostro 3360 (starting at $649) and Vostro 3460 (starting at $599) will be available from June 21.
Filed under: enterprise, VentureBeat 
Dell debuts new Inspiron laptop family for back-to-school
Dell unveiled a new line of Inspiron laptops today for back-to-school purchases. The models use some of Intel’s newest family of Ivy Bridge processors, which combine a microprocessor and graphics on a single chip.
The new models include the Inspiron 14z, a thin and light versatile laptop for people on the go.
Dell also has a special edition laptop for remium multimedia performance. The company has three versions of Inspiron laptops. They include a Z series for thin and powerful style on the go; the Inspiron R series for studio-quality multimedia and auido. All of the laptops will use Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors. They come with 13-inch or 14-inch screens, and they have MaxxAudio technology.
“As families prepare to send their kids off to school this fall, they need a laptop with reliability and performance,” said Sam Burd, vice president and general manager of product development for Dell. “The expanded and redesigned Inspiron family helps parents embrace technology and make a smart investment in their childrens’ success.”
Pricing and availability is as follows:
Inspiron 14z: Available today in select countries in Asia, June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, and in select countries in Europe and Latin America later this summer, starting at $699.99 USD.
Inspiron 13z: Available today in select countries in Asia, and June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, starting at $599.99 USD.
Inspiron 15R: Available today in select countries in Europe and Asia, and June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, starting at $549.99 USD.
Inspiron 17R: Available today in select countries in Europe, and June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, starting at $599.99 USD.
Inspiron 15R Special Edition: Available today in select countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America, and June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, starting at $899.99 USD.
Inspiron 17R Special Edition: Available today in select countries in Europe and Asia, and June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, starting at $1,099.99 USD ($1,299.99 with 3D).
Filed under: VentureBeat 
iPhone 5 will have at least a 4-inch screen, says WSJ
We’ve heard it before, and we’re going to hear it again. The next version of the iPhone will replace its long-standing 3.5-inch screen with one that measures at least 4 inches.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, claims that production will begin next month on screens for the new iPhone (likely called “iPhone 5″) in Asian factories.
While it has drastically improved screen resolution, Apple has not changed the size of its 3.5-inch iPhone screen since it launched in 2007. But since that time Android phone screens have gotten much bigger. Two relatively new flagship devices, the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III, feature 4.7- and 4.8-inch screens, respectively.
Personally, I’ve been clamoring for a 4-inch iPhone ever since Samsung launched the first line of Galaxy S Android smartphones, which had 4-inch screens. It’s the perfect size for reaching your thumbs across the screen and still lets you view content. If the endless rumors of the 4-inch screen for the iPhone 5 are true, I’ll be happy.
China Mobile deal
Also in the iPhone rumor pot today is word that China Mobile is in talks with Apple to finally carry the iPhone. China Mobile is the world’s largest carrier by customers, but the iPhone hasn’t landed on that network due to network incompatibilities. It has, however, signed with competitors China Telecom and China Unicom to offer the iPhone.
China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua said at a shareholder meeting in that he wasn’t sure if the carrier and Apple would be able to finish up an agreement before the end of 2012. That said, with China Mobile’s 667 million subscribers, there’s a lot of incentive for both companies to hash out a deal.
iPhone 5 mockup photo: Fuse Chicken
Filed under: mobile 
People want their next phone to have a big-a** screen, survey says
Turns out all those phone-tablet hybrids are actually a hit with consumers. A survey released Thursday from Strategy Analytics found that people want their next phone to have a large screen.
The research organization showed American and British research participants several prototype phones with small and large screen sizes and different thicknesses. A vast majority, 90 percent, preferred phones with bigger screen sizes than their current smartphones.
So what’s the magic screen size number? Strategy Analytics says between four and four and half inches diagonal was the most popular choice in the survey. But the screen size isn’t all that matters, people want large phones that are also thin. It seems like Motorola already knew this when it released the Droid RAZR last fall, a smartphone measuring only 0.28 inches thick with a 4.3 inch screen.
Samsung and LG are also perhaps feeding this trend with the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note and the LG Optimus 4X HD and Optimus Vue. The Note and the Optimus Vue both have five inch screens and the Optimus 4X HD’s screen is just shy of five inches at 4.7 inches diagonal.
The survey found that cellphone owners want phones that they can use to easily browse the Internet and watch video, hence the desire for a large size. The survey does beg the question, do people want bigger screens because manufacturers have been making them, or are manufacturers responding to consumer desire for more screen space? What do you think?
Filed under: mobile 
The 10 most promising products of the coming year, as revealed at CES
We spent hours combing the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to sleuth out the most compelling tech trends and the most exciting new products of the coming year.
Now that we’ve returned from Vegas, pounded enough Emergen-C cocktails to get us back into a semblance of health, and compared notes, we’ve settled on this list of the show’s top products.
Read on to see the most promising hardware that will be hitting store shelves in the coming months.
10. Samsung Galaxy Note
Samsung Galaxy NoteLess a technological breakthrough than a form-factor experiment, the Galaxy Note is notable primarily because, well, it actually works.
Up to now, phone and tablet manufacturers have been careful to separate their lines: Phones have 4-inch screens or smaller, while tablets have 7-inch screens or larger. The embarrassing failure of Dell’s 5-inch Streak confirmed the wisdom of that approach.
But in truth, there’s little difference between a tablet and a smartphone, other than size, and for those of us who habitually use 3×5 cards or similar-sized pocket notebooks, a 5-inch diagonal screen is actually just about perfect for holding in one hand while jotting notes with the other. By adding a stylus and some note-taking and handwriting recognition software to the Android OS, that’s exactly the use that Samsung has in mind for the Galaxy Note.
And yes, it’s too big for a pants pocket. It might be more attractive to female customers, who can stash it in a purse, or to more stylishly dressed men, who could put it in a jacket pocket. We spent some time with the Note on the CES show floor and came away favorably impressed.
One downside: It’s running a sadly outdated version of Android (2.3, aka Gingerbread).
It will be coming to AT&T Wireless later this year, and should be a strong contender of AT&T and Samsung give it a decent price and find the right audience for their marketing message, which is basically that writing and drawing are still fun. –Dylan Tweney
9. Gear4 Sleep Clock
Gear4 Sleep ClockIf you sometimes wake up feeling drained, the Gear4 Sleep Clock may help you. The clock uses an iPhone app, a dock and Doppler radar to sense your sleep pattern and wake you up at the lightest point in your sleep cycle.
The radar senses your movements and determines exactly when you fall asleep. It also senses if you wake up during the night and detects your breathing so that it can figure out if you are in a deep sleep or not. When you wake up the next day, you can see the results on your iPhone app. It will tell you exactly how many hours and minutes you slept. And it will say how long it took to fall asleep and how many times you woke up. After you use it for a while, it will come up with averages and recommendations so you can get better sleep. You don’t have to wear anything on your wrist, as you do with rival solutions from Basis Science or Jawbone. The Gear4 device will go on sale soon for $199. –Dean Takahashi
8. HP Envy 14 Spectre Ultrabook
HP Envy 14The distinctive feature of this Ultrabook is its cover. It is made out of black Gorilla Glass, a damage-resistant glass from Corning that is normally used for screens. It certainly makes this laptop design stand out amid a sea of Ultrabooks at CES. The machine carries the Envy brand established by Voodoo PC, which HP acquired. It has a high-definition HP Radiance display (1600 x 900) with 300 Nits of brightness. It has nine hours of battery life and a row of connection slots. It also has an HD webcam and HP’s Beats Audio technology. The Spectre also has an analogy roller control for changing the sound volume and it has a mute button on the side for when you have to stop the music fast. It comes with 128 gigabytes of flash memory and Intel’s Rapid Start technology. The height is 20 millimeters and it weighs 3.79 pounds. It will cost $1,399 and will start selling on Feb. 8. –Dean Takahashi
7. OLPC XO 3.0 tablet
OLPC XO 3.0This tablet has been in the works for a long time and its true cost remains to be seen. But One Laptop per Child has done a good job of researching what children in developing countries need and then tailoring it for them. It’s not just an iPad with a different label slapped on it. It has a dust and waterproof cover. It has its own Linux operating system (and it can also run Android) and its Sugar user interface has been adapted for touchscreen use. You can charge it with a wall outlet, a solar panel, or a hand crank. And the screws for the cover line up as power pins when you are getting power from the solar panel. And it has an eight-inch display that works inside or outside in bright sunlight. That’s a lot of innovation in a small tablet whose target cost is around the $100 mark. Overall, the OLPC XO 3.0 has an appealing design that promises to reach a wider market than previous OLPC XO laptops. –Dean Takahashi
Click here to see products 6 through 4.
Filed under: VentureBeat 
Bigger Kindle Fires may be coming in 2012
Amazon may be launching at least one larger version of the Kindle Fire in the first half of 2012.
According to DigiTimes, the Taiwanese blog with deep connections in manufacturer supply chains, Amazon is preparing to release the device in new 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch screen sizes. The 8.9-inch size is said to be prepping for launch first.
Currently, the Kindle Fire ships with a 7-inch color touchscreen.
Earlier this month, DigiTimes said the 8.9 inch displays would be coming from suppliers Chunghwa Picture Tubes and LG Displays.
Now, the blog’s sources name Samsung as an additional supplier of the 8.9-inch screens and say the larger screen sizes are due to the suppliers’ promotion of those 8.9-inch touchscreen panels.
Supply chain sources also said Amazon was trying to sidestep direct competition with tablet manufacturers releasing products in the 9.7-inch to 10.1-inch range. Such devices would include Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1, HP’s Touchpads, Skytex’s Windows tablets and Apple’s iPad.
Supply chain sources are also naming Foxconn as Amazon’s latest ODM (original design manufacturer). Foxconn, which also produces a great deal of Apple merchandise, will join Quanta as a manufacturer of 7-inch Kindle Fires and will begin production of the 8.9-inch models in the spring of 2012.
The 8.9-inch Kindle Fire units may be ready for sale as soon as June 2012.
The original Kindle Fire had its launch event back in September. The device sells at a low $199 price point and started shipping a week ago.
Amazon expects to sell 5 million Kindle Fire units during the holiday shopping season.
The company is also reportedly working on a smartphone, also with Foxconn.
Filed under: gadgets 
B&N Nook Tablet follows Kindle Fire with early release today
Barnes & Noble has released its new $249 Nook Tablet today, following Amazon’s lead by unleashing its e-reader/tablet hybrid on the market a day early.
“Nook Tablet is the best wireless reading and entertainment tablet in the 7-inch class, and the customer response has been even greater than anticipated,” said Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch, in a statement. “At these super-low prices, Nook Tablet, Nook Color and the $99 Nook Simple Touch represent the highest-quality portfolio of reading and entertainment products on the market at the best value.”
The new $249 Nook Tablet is in a precarious position as it will fight head-to-head this holiday seasons with the much-hyped $199 Kindle Fire, which was released two days ago. Both tablets feature 7-inch screens with 1024-by-600 resolution and run a modified version of the Android operating system. But when it comes to design, content selection and apps, the two tablets differ greatly.
The Nook Tablet looks almost exactly like the now-$199 Nook Color, but it features better specs. Inside the Nook Tablet is a 1.3-GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (upgradeable to 48GB with an addition 32GB microSD card). By comparison, the Kindle Fire has a TI OMAP4 dual-core processor and 8GB of on-board storage (but it can tap Amazon’s cloud for additional storage).
Unfortunately, when it comes to media options on the Nook Tablet, Barnes & Noble isn’t as robust as Amazon, which sells movies, TV and music. Barnes & Noble doesn’t have an integrated digital music and video store, but the company said it is working to remedy that issue. For now, the Nook Tablet’s focus will be on e-books, color magazines, textbooks and Android apps.
Are you interested in picking up a Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire this holiday season?
Filed under: media, mobile, VentureBeat 
